Peterborough United still odds on to be relegated from the Championship, big injury blow for Stoke City and Posh haven’t scored a goal in this fixture since 1991! Key forthcoming Championship matches

Peterborough United are still odds on to be relegated from the Championship, even though bottom club Derby County have been hit by a massive 21 point deduction.
Posh manager Darren Ferguson alongside Derby County boss Wayne Rooney.Posh manager Darren Ferguson alongside Derby County boss Wayne Rooney.
Posh manager Darren Ferguson alongside Derby County boss Wayne Rooney.

Posh are 8/15 for the drop with Sky Bet. Derby County are 1/10 to go down, but the other teams currently in the drop zone Barnsley (5/6) and Hull (9/4) are longer odds than Posh to be relegated.

For the more optimistic Posh fans Sky are offering fancy prices on a big rally by Darren Ferguson’s side.

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You can get 5000/1 on Posh to to finish in the top two, 750/1 on them to reach the play-offs, 500/1 to finish in the top six and 25/1 to finish in the top half!

Josef Bursik.Josef Bursik.
Josef Bursik.

Posh are 11/2 to win at Stoke on Saturday (November 20) with Sky Bet with the hosts priced at 1/2 and the draw at 16/5. It’s 10/11 for both teams to score.

Other bits and pieces ahead of the game at the Britannia Stadium...

FORM AND PLAYING SQUAD

Goalkeeper Josef Bursik played six times on loan at Posh from Stoke last season and made a crucial penalty save in a vital 1-0 win at Charlton. Bursik has made 12 Championship starts for Stoke this season and has kept clean sheets in his last two outings.

Worrell SterlingWorrell Sterling
Worrell Sterling
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Stoke suffered a big blow during the international break as powerful centre-back Harry Souttar was ruled out for several months with knee ligament damage.

Souttar, who scored against Posh when on loan at Fleetwood, has missed just one Championship match this season, but was carried off playing for Australia in a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia last week.

Stoke’s top scorers this season are former Manchester United and Wigan forward Nick Powell and aggressive midfielder Jacob Brown who have five goals apiece.

Stoke have won five of their eight Championship home matches this season. Only leaders Bournemouth (1-0) have won at the Britannia Stadium, although struggling Cardiff fought back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 there at the end of last month.

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Stoke followed that disappointment with back-to-back 1-0 away wins at Blackpool and Luton to move back up to fifth place, albeit 10 points off the automatic promotion places.

PAST POSH AT STOKE

Posh have played Stoke City away from home in Football League matches just four times and they’ve lost the last three, picking up their only point in a Boxing Day Thriller at the old Victoria Ground in 1991.

Posh were behind three times, but found equalisers from centre-back Dave Robinson, skipper Mick Halsall and, nine minutes from time, Worrell Sterling.

Posh went on to finish sixth in the old Division Three, two places behind Stoke, but it was Chris Turner’s team that won the play-offs to reach what became Division One.

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Posh: Barber, Luke, Johnson, D. Robinson, Welsh, Halsall, Cooper, Sterling, Kimble, Riley, Charlery. Subs used: R. Robinson, Culpin.

Posh went down 1-0 in their last Football League meeting at Stoke in a 2002 Division Two clash.

Posh: Tyler, A. Kimble, Rea, Edwards, Danielsson, Bullard, Gill, Oldfield, Farrell, McKenzie, Green. Sub used: Forinton

It had finished 3-0 to Stoke in Division Two in 2000 and 3-0 in a Division One game in 1994.

KEY FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

Other key Championship games coming up...

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Saturday: Bristol C v Blackburn, Fulham v Barnsley, Hull v Birmingham C, Preston NE v Cardiff C, Reading v N Forest, Sheff Utd v Coventry, Swansea v Blackpool

Sunday: Derby v Bournemouth.

Tuesday: Blackpool v West Brom, Coventry v Birmingham C, Middlesbrough v Preston NE, N Forest v Luton,

Reading v Sheff Utd

Wednesday: Barnsley v Swansea, Bristol C v Stoke, Cardiff v Hull, Fulham v Derby.